Saturday, December 17, 2011

I rarely write on this blog and lately I have not posted much at all. I will not make promises to amend that, because life is churning far too fast for me to be sure of keeping such a promise. But I would like to write a few lines of what we see in my cherished Middle East over the past year, and what better time to do so than the anniversary.

So, this is a tribute to unemployed university graduate fruit vendor Mohammed Bouazizi of Sidibouzid in Tunisia, whose frustration and anger was the spark of the Arab revolution of 2011. His action woke many and started a wave of change.

Many more have died since and I fear we have not seen the end of violence. But many many have also found voice and hope. I believe we can never go back to a day where it is said that Arab populations are politically passive or complacent.

This is also for Tawakol Karman, Nobel peace laureate, Alaa Abdel Fattah, Razan Ghazzawi, Ali Abduleman - just to mention but a few of those brave people whose names we have learned this year.

Change will continue to come, if in different timetables and ways in different countries.

At the regional level, inter-regional interaction has also sharpened and heightened.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Saturday, August 20, 2011

The architectural solidity of the Hagia Sofia, one of the earliest building supporting a dome (replicated in Istanbul first almost a thousand years later by Sinan in the Suleymaniyya) and having survived in an earthquake zone, leads me to believe that this amazing column has no important function. But it does sort of lead you to look twice and once again!

About Me

This blog mainly features travel and photography - all of my own. I also share links on current affairs from media on topics that catch my eye.
Should you like a photo enough to consider borrowing it - please attribute to this blog! Or even better, email for detailed attribution data: sniffstravels@gmail.com